


with one step, we take the leap

by teatin



Category: Winx Club
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-01
Updated: 2020-08-01
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:55:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25652443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teatin/pseuds/teatin
Summary: "Sky's wedding is this weekend," Bloom said, and had the decency to looksheepish. "I was thinking... we could go together."Diaspro took a deep, calming breath. “Are you sure you’re not doing this to sabotage his wedding? Not that I wouldn’t want to see His Majesty knocked down a peg, mind you, but I’d rather not be caught an accomplice in an international incident."Or: Bloom has something to prove. Diaspro is unwillingly roped in, to her endless exasperation. Two jilted lovers, and their ex-fiancé's one heavily-publicized wedding. What could go wrong?The answer is nothing. Bloom and Diaspro totally have it under control, thank you very much.
Relationships: Bloom/Diaspro (Winx Club)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 136





	with one step, we take the leap

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Discordix Weekly Writing Prompt event, "My ex just invited me to their wedding and I need you to be my date so it doesn't look like I've spent the last few years failing to get over them".

“No,” came the immediate answer.

Bloom’s shoulders sagged. She knew all too well that Diaspro’s decisions, once made, were non-negotiable, but she’d always known that underneath the tough exterior, deep in there somewhere, the snooty princess had a heart of gold. And said heart always did have a soft spot for Bloom, in an exasperatedly affectionate way, loath as Diaspro was to admit it.

She briefly wondered if her sad puppy eyes trick still worked. Couldn’t hurt to try.

“Absolutely not,” came the follow-up answer, this time with an air of finality and an unspoken warning that whatever Bloom was about to do, she was treading dangerous waters.

Sulking, Bloom plopped down on the couch next to Diaspro, who had not looked up from her copy of Magix Daily since Bloom entered the room, proclaiming that she “knew what they were gonna do this weekend”, a declaration she had taken with a doubtful raise of one eyebrow and a slight twitch of her perfectly manicured fingers. Without even flinching, Diaspro scooted to the left, enough to avoid her legs being sat on, and continued reading the paper.

Or rather, she was pointedly trying to ignore the absolutely humongous headline printed on the first page in sparkling, dancing letters. _SAVE THE DATE: ROYAL WEDDING OF THE CENTURY_ , it read. _KING SKY OF ERAKLYON TIES THE KNOT WITH CROWN PRINCESS ELYSAINE OF MIRAYSA._ The subtitle was some inane quote from Sky gushing about how perfect his bride was, and underneath was a large photo of the beaming lovers, Elysaine proudly showing off her enormous sparkler (a red isite – her favorite gemstone – she recognized with a twitch of her eye).

Tossing the paper onto the coffee table with perhaps more force than necessary, Diaspro scoffed. Sky had always been a lovesick fool, chasing the thrill of romance, some idealized version of true love that would inevitably let him down once the novelty of it had worn off, and he would take off again, seeking that drug with someone new, like an addict who refused to admit he had a problem.

Of course, since Diaspro wasn’t completely heartless, she hoped for Elysaine’s sake that she would last longer than her, or Bloom for that matter.

She thought the fact that both she and Bloom had been engaged to Sky at different points in time ought to be at least a little bit awkward for them both, but they had managed to be cordial with each other (not without extreme effort) when Bloom and Sky were still together, and when their engagement suddenly fell through, Bloom had barged into her apartment late one night, claiming that Diaspro was the only person who could understand how she felt. Diaspro must’ve felt uncharacteristically nice that night, or maybe there was something about the girl’s devastated appearance that reminded her a bit too sharply of herself not too long before that, because instead of making a snarky remark about karma or something equally cutting, Diaspro had wordlessly opened her doors and let Bloom in, and they had spent the rest of the night drinking their sorrows away and commiserating about how men were not to be trusted.

In a moment of weakness, Diaspro had confessed that she’d always felt this invisible but immense pressure of everyone’s expectations weighing on her as the “perfect consort” for the future King of one of the most powerful realms out there, how she felt untethered when Sky had ended their engagement and with that, their future marriage, something she had prepared for for so long that she couldn’t quite remember who she was without it. Bloom in turn admitted that as the Keeper of the Dragon Flame, the entire magic dimension’s eyes were constantly on her, like vultures just waiting for a slip-up. She also confessed, in the quietest voice Diaspro had ever heard since knowing the girl, that she didn’t really know who she was outside of her title as the Keeper.

Diaspro didn’t remember much else about that night, but one thing she could still recall vividly: the moment she thought, unconsciously, _this girl isn’t so bad, after all._

Ever since that night, it was like a switch had been flipped, and their odd friendship took on a strangely comfortable rhythm that neither of them could explain. Bloom was loud and blunt, her hands were almost never not stained with paint (which had always been a passion of hers, but one she was committed to rediscovering as part of her journey of ‘post-breakup self-discovery’, as she liked to call it). Her earnestness had driven Diaspro up the wall at first, but she soon found (to her great dismay), that she rather enjoyed her company. Bloom always lit up when she spoke of the works of some great Earth artist she admired (whose name Diaspro could never be bothered to remember), and while she couldn’t understand the art, she respected Bloom’s passion and dedication to it. For her part, Diaspro took it upon herself to introduce Bloom to the finer things in life, and occasionally delighted in the way she unfailingly scandalized the more conservative crowd with whom Diaspro was forced to run, at the rare social events that they attended together.

All in all, Diaspro had to admit Bloom was… tolerable. Not that she would ever admit that, though.

“Hello?” a loud voice pierced through her train of thought. Bloom was waving the discarded Magix Daily issue in her hand, trying to get her attention. “Magic dimension to Diaspro.”

Diaspro waved a hand to get the paper away from her face. “Yes, Bloom?”

Bloom shot her an incredulous look. “Seriously? Weren’t you listening to me? Sky’s wedding is this weekend.”

“Good for him,” Diaspro replied curtly. “I don’t see what that has to do with us.”

“I got an invitation.” Bloom said, and produced an expensive-looking envelope seemingly out of thin air, to Diaspro’s barely concealed astonishment.

Diaspro made a sound that might’ve been a snort were she a less sophisticated lady. “That’s bold of him.”

“Did you not get one?” Bloom inquired, looking her up and down, as if she could find the invitation on Diaspro’s person if she looked hard enough.

Diaspro thought back on her pile of unread correspondence she had emptied from her mailbox and haphazardly tossed onto her desk that morning. It might be in there, but she couldn’t be bothered to check. “I don’t know. I haven’t read non work-related mail in weeks.” Which was technically not a lie. Her jewelry business had been booming, and she’d hardly had any time to catch a break at all.

In fact, today was supposed to be one of her rare quiet days in, until _someone_ decided to pop over for an impromptu “friendly visit”.

“Doesn’t matter,” Bloom waved a hand dismissively. “If he wants me at his wedding, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you went as well.”

Diaspro cocked an eyebrow. “Who says I’m going?”

To her credit, Bloom had the decency to look _sheepish._ “Well… you see… I was thinking… we could go together. Doesn’t matter if you’ve got an invitation or not. Mine says I can bring a plus one, and I’m bringing whomever I want. If Sky doesn’t like it, that’s too bad for him but I’m bringing you anyway because you’re my friend.”

She was nervously rambling now, Diaspro realized. Somehow, she found it strangely endearing.

 _Oh, Great Dragon, get a grip of yourself_ , she shook her head.

“You don’t want to?” Bloom deflated, clearly disappointed.

“No, that’s not what I- never mind,” Diaspro took a deep, calming breath. “Are you sure you’re not doing this to sabotage his wedding? Not that I wouldn’t want to see His Majesty knocked down a peg, mind you, but I’d rather not be caught an accomplice in an international incident."

“Does that mean you’re coming?” Bloom perked up again.

“I did not say that,” Diaspro held up a hand in a universally-recognized ‘stop’ gesture. “I don’t know, Bloom. I’d like to save whatever dignity I’ve got left, and I don’t intend to be the laughingstock for three thousand wedding guests, and suffer the humiliation of watching my ex-fiancé pick someone else, _again_.”

The moment she said it, Diaspro knew she’d crossed a line, when a look of hurt flashed through Bloom's features. “I thought I already said I was sorry about what happened between us,” she said, voice quiet. “Besides, this time he’s leaving _me_ for someone else.”

Diaspro sighed.

“Look, I’m sorry,” she gritted out, as if it physically pained her, having to apologize. “I’m not bitter about it anymore, I promise,” at Bloom’s meaningful look, she amended. “Most of the time.”

“And you wouldn’t be anyone’s laughingstock,” Bloom said firmly. “Not on my watch. And not if you go as my date.”

Diaspro froze in her tracks. “Date?”

“Yeah.”

“Like, a _I’m just accompanying you_ date, or a _date_ date?”

Bloom blinked. She had not had the time to think through the technicalities of semantics, but the latter did not sound… entirely intolerable. She eventually settled on, “I don’t know. It doesn’t matter, does it?”

Diaspro gave her a look. “You’re not actually trying to make Sky jealous, are you?”

“No! Great Dragon, Diaspro, he’s getting married. I’m not that delusional.”

They stared at each other.

“Well, okay,” Bloom relented. “Truth be told, I just don’t want Sky to think I’m still heartbroken over our engagement being called off.”

“And you thought the appropriate way to prove that to him is to show up at his wedding. With his _other_ ex-fiancée in tow.”

“If he didn’t want me at his wedding, he wouldn’t have sent me an invitation!” Bloom squeaked defensively, once again waving the envelope in Diaspro’s face.

“You do realize,” Diaspro began carefully, batting the envelope away. “That he most likely didn’t vet his guest list and just delegated the job to someone else?” After all, Diaspro had been in the process of planning a wedding with Sky herself, she knew his modus operandi only all too well. “Besides, maybe he’s not inviting you as his ex, but as the Keeper of the Dragon Flame and an influential political figure in the magic dimension.”

“Please, Diaspro,” Bloom said in a voice that proved she had no arguments left. “If nothing else, the food there should be top-notch. We’re gonna have a great time regardless.”

Sighing a little, she continued. “Look, I’m neither blind nor stupid. I know you’re still hurting over Sky ending your engagement, and I know that what happened with me has been opening up that wound.”

Before Diaspro could protest, she went on, sounding uncharacteristically somber. “I know you don’t love him anymore. Heck, maybe you never did in the first place, I don’t know. But that doesn’t mean that it still doesn’t hurt. I know from first-hand experience. But don’t you think this is a great opportunity for us to have some fun and show him we’re both doing well for ourselves? Not that I think either of us have anything to prove, least of all to Sky, but still.”

“Alright, fine,” Diaspro said. “I see your point.”

Bloom beamed. “I knew you’d come around,” and then, with a wink, “Don’t worry, us jilted lovers are allowed a bit of petty coping mechanisms every now and then. It’s only healthy.”

The matter settled, they slipped into a comfortable silence on the couch before Diaspro remembered something utterly important.

“What are you going to wear?”

Bloom absent-mindedly gestured to the outfit she was wearing.

“Absolutely not.”

As expected, the wedding reception was packed. Anyone who was anyone in the nobility and elite social circles was present. It reminded Diaspro of every other inane social event she’d been attending her entire life. Full of mindless chatter and endless schmoozing. Really, it was less a celebration of marriage than a networking opportunity.

She and Bloom had managed to cobble up a last-minute wedding gift, a gemstone-encrusted painting of the palace of Eraklyon. Standard, impersonal, just expensive enough to induce appreciation from the receiving party and ensure it would not be tossed into the garbage the moment their backs were turned. Not that Diaspro would care, anyway, but after the effort they spent on the thing, it should at least be valued, however little.

Diaspro noted with only a tiny twinge of disappointment that Sky had not seemed to notice either of them since the start of the ceremony, which lent credence to her theory that he might not even be aware he had invited Bloom. That, or he was just that enamored of his new bride. She knew, however, that they would eventually come face to face. Erendor was a stickler for protocol, if nothing else, and he would never let Sky get away without at least exchanging pleasantries with all three thousand wedding guests.

She almost felt bad for the sucker. Almost.

Bloom had been twirling on the dance floor with her friends from that Winx clique they had in high school, in a gown Diaspro had chosen from one of her own designs (after vetoing Bloom’s initial plan to show up in a pair of overalls). It was a gold dress encrusted at the waist with yellow diamonds and accented with a layer of white tulle, enchanted to dazzle in the light. Out there, Bloom looked almost-

She quickly shook herself out of her reverie. What was she thinking? What she was seeing here was only an illusion, a carefully made-up doll. The regular Bloom was loud and uncouth and left paint stains everywhere, and when she smiled that earnest, almost crooked smile-

Diaspro took another sip of the champagne. She was not nearly drunk enough for this.

“Bloom, you’re not listening, are you?” Stella’s voice interrupted Bloom’s train of thought. She went a little red realizing who she was looking at, and quickly averted her gaze.

Not quickly enough for one Stella of Solaria.

“I saw that,” she said meaningfully, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “You know, I assumed this was some hare-brained revenge scheme cooked up by the magic dimension’s most unlikely duo, but looks like there’s something else going on here that I’m not privy to.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Bloom said, feigning ignorance and hoping to Great Dragon that she wasn’t blushing too profusely.

“Hey, this is a judgment-free zone,” Stella quipped, but there was something genuine in her voice, too. “As your bestest friend in the world, I can say with confidence that nothing would give me more joy – bar Brandon putting a ring on it – than seeing my best friend happy. I’d move planets if it meant your happiness.”

Bloom wanted to retort with a quip of her own, but found she couldn’t say anything. She stayed silent, mulling over Stella’s words.

“But I suppose that is something for you to work out on your own,” Stella said, squeezing her hands, before flouncing away to where a waiting Brandon stood, some distance away.

Bloom gazed to the tables, where Diaspro was seemingly determined to drink herself into a stupor before the night was over and steadfastly refusing every invitation to dance by any eligible bachelor that would dare approach her. She felt a pang of… something she could not quite describe, in her chest. When she’d invited Diaspro to the wedding as her date, playing it off as an attempt to get back at Sky, she had not imagined it would go like this, with her having fun and Diaspro off to the side, looking like a mini thunderstorm might pour down from a cartoonish cloud over her head, and radiating hostility at any unsuspecting guest attempting to make small talk with her.

She was going to fix this, she decided, as her feet took her to where Diaspro was possibly on her fifth flute of champagne.

“Dance with me.”

Diaspro only managed a surprised “huh?”. She was clearly at least a little tipsy.

“I’m not letting you mope about like this all evening,” Bloom said resolutely. “It’s a celebration, we should be celebrating. Come on.”

“Bloom, I-”

“Weren’t you always itching to teach me to ‘dance properly’?” Bloom said, forming air quotes with her hand. “Well, I’m saying I want to learn now. You won’t get a second chance like this. This is a one-time offer.”

Diaspro narrowed her eyes at Bloom’s terrible negotiating skills, briefly wondering how she’d managed to survive the brutal world of politics with such a lack of subtlety and finesse. She must’ve been like a bull in a china shop all the time, she shuddered to think. Her knee-jerk reaction was to brush off Bloom’s invitation, but then, remembering the jerky, slightly drunken movements that Bloom called “dancing”, Diaspro reluctantly agreed. At least with her on the dance floor, she could at least have a semblance of control and avoid Bloom embarrassing the both of them in front of the magic dimension’s elites.

As if the universe had been conspiring to make everything at this Great Dragon-forsaken wedding as awkward as possible, right in that moment, just as they swept into position, the song abruptly changed to a slow, romantic ballad.

But Diaspro wouldn’t be the poised lady she was if she’d let a little thing like this throw her off. And so they glided through the dance floor in surprising tandem, and Bloom was actually making an effort for once, for she hadn’t stepped on Diaspro foot not even once.

However, there was something about being in such close proximity to another person as a romantic song played in the background that was immensely unnerving for both of them, as they made every effort to look anywhere except at each other. It was getting ridiculous after a while, and Bloom decided she would be the bigger woman and make an attempt to dispel the uncomfortable silence.

“So,” Bloom said, aiming for something she hoped came across as casual. “You’ve been enjoying yourself.”

Diaspro winced. “As much as I possibly can, given the circumstances.”

Instantly, Bloom felt a pang of guilt. “Oh,” she said sheepishly. “I didn’t think it would make you this uncomfortable. I’m sorry, I should’ve taken your feelings into consideration too. I was so wrapped up in my own emotional baggage-”

“Don’t,” Diaspro said, not unkindly. “It wasn’t your fault. You made me realize some things, actually.”

Despite her best efforts, traitorous hope bloomed within her chest. “Oh?”

“I haven’t been properly dealing with my feelings,” Diaspro admitted with a sigh. “I’ve been bottling it up and pretending it doesn’t bother me, because that’s how we’ve dealt with every inconvenient emotion in our family.”

“Oh.”

“I guess this whole thing just brought it to the forefront… again,” Diaspro said, clearly referring to Bloom’s own failed engagement. “It’s all still very new to me, but I suppose… it’s a welcome change.”

“Wow,” Bloom breathed out, astonished. “Was that a heart-to-heart just now? You’re right, I’m feeling the change already.”

“Don’t ruin the moment.”

“Oh, man,” Bloom said. “I know that being an ice queen is like, your brand at this point, and you’ve got a reputation to uphold to your no doubt countless enemies, or something, but I promise, it’s okay to feel human emotions every now and then. Feels good to get in touch with your primal side, doesn’t it?”

Diaspro wrinkled her nose in mock-disgust. “Now you’re just mocking me.”

“In all seriousness though,” Bloom said, suddenly sounding oddly reflective. “If it helps, I’m also figuring it out. We’re in this together, getting our lives together one step at a time.”

“That’s very comforting,” Diaspro said wryly as the image of Bloom’s apartment flashed through her mind. It looked as if a typhoon had swept through it, with brushes, paint tubes, and every miscellaneous art supply known to man covering every inch of the floor, and there were finished and half-finished canvases propped up on every wall. Somewhere in a corner, she had noted with alarm, it looked as if a paint can had exploded.

Despite it all, Bloom sounded so earnest in that moment that she found it difficult to be her usual snarky self. Bloom had never been able to hold a serious conversation to save her life, and thus Diaspro had developed her own brand of sarcasm to counter Bloom’s often bizarre quips for fear of being caught unawares. But this… this was a nice change. She loathed to admit it, but Bloom had a knack for surprising her. Everytime she thought she had the girl figured out, she reveals another hidden, previously-unknown layer to her.

In spite of her faults and their one-of-a-kind shared history, Diaspro found Bloom endlessly fascinating. She suspected that fascination was a contributing factor that kickstarted their sorta-friendship, and the rest was history.

“How am I doing so far?” Bloom asked, nervous. “Dancing has never been my preferred art form.”

“You’re doing fine,” Diaspro said with a hint of a smile that Bloom allowed herself to believe was genuine. “Not too shabby for a total klutz.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“You should, because I’m not doing it again,” Diaspro seemed to consider something for a moment, then said, half-jokingly, “I didn’t know you were so committed to showing Sky that you’re having a great time and completely unbothered.”

Bloom flushed, hoping that the flickering lights on the dance floor would hide the rapidly forming blush on her cheeks. While that had certainly been the original intention, she had to admit she hadn’t thought much about Sky or his opinions since the dance started. Or at all, really.

Instead, she found herself secretly admiring the way Diaspro seemed to move with practiced ease, like these kinds of things came naturally to her. The way her face smoothed into a perfectly charming smile when approached by one of the royals, the way she kept a flawless poker face when a particularly spiteful noblewoman made a cutting remark about her post-Sky love life (or lack thereof).

Bloom suspected that it was her admiration for Diaspro that drew her to the snooty woman in the first place, but, as her heart raced at the proximity to the familiar now she wondered if, somewhere along the way, it had evolved into something else.

No, she mustn’t think about it.

The Great Dragon must’ve heard her silent plea, for right at that moment, the song stopped, and they stepped away from each other with a sigh of relief. And then, fortunately for Bloom (for she was saved from having to think of what to say), but unfortunately for Diaspro (for she had been hoping to finally catch a break), and as if on cue, Sky appeared before them, Elysaine hanging off his arm, matching grins on both their faces.

Apparently they started doing the rounds sooner than Diaspro had anticipated. She mentally kicked herself for her miscalculation, but otherwise did not react. She felt Bloom stiffen slightly beside her, and placed a hand on the small of her back in what she hoped Bloom would correctly interpret as a signal to stay put.

Sky’s smile faltered at the sight of Bloom, and warped into a confused stare as he took in her companion. Instinctively, he turned to check Elysaine’s reaction, but if she detected the common thread in both women, she did not show it.

“Thank you so much for coming!” she beamed at the two of them, then turned to Sky with a slightly reproachful look. “Honey, don’t just stand there. Won’t you introduce us properly?”

Sky audibly gulped.

“Uh, this is Bloom, my friend,” he began hesitantly. “And this is Diaspro… my friend.”

“Oh, Diaspro, I am absolutely in love with your latest collection,” Elysaine gushed, bright smile still completely intact. Diaspro briefly wondered if she was aware of Sky’s prior engagements. If she was (and she was almost certain she had to be), she was hiding it well.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that,” Diaspro shot back, and it came out a bit sharper than she intended, so she added, more gently this time. “It’s been a while since we last talked.”

“Oh, then I’ll leave you three to catch up then,” Elysaine said, and right that moment, as if on cue, someone started hollering her name. “It was such a pleasure talking to you. Diaspro, I’ll be in touch. I would love for you to design my jewelry for our first coming out ball as a married couple.”

“Of course, I’d be honored.” Diaspro replied on autopilot.

And then the bride left.

Leaving the three of them standing in silence, trying their best not to look at each other in the eyes.

Because really, what could one possibly say to his two ex-fiancées who had just decided to show up to his wedding to his third fiancée (it was true what they said, third time really _was_ the charm)?

Diaspro could feel Bloom tense up beside her before a hand shot out to grab hers. Normally, she would brush her off (Great Dragon knew Diaspro wasn’t a touchy feely person), but something about the shocked expression that flit across Sky’s face awakened the pettiness in her, and she grasped Bloom’s hand right back.

“So, uh,” Sky began hesitantly. “I didn’t think you guys would go together.”

“So what if we did?” Diaspro retorted. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“No, no, of course not,” he held up his hands in an attempt to pacify her. “I’m glad that you’re happy together. Honestly.”

 _Alright, this is going too far_ , Diaspro thought, but before she could protest, Bloom conveniently chose that exact moment to regain her verbal abilities. “Yes, we are. It’s all very new, but we’re figuring it out together, one step at a time.”

“That’s…” Sky seemed to be at a loss for words. “That’s really great, you two. I mean, I never would’ve expected it, but uh… I guess something good came out of a bad thing? I mean… I’m going to stop talking now.”

“I believe that would be for the best,” Diaspro said simply. “Anyway, we would hate to keep you. I’m sure you have lots of guests you have to get to.”

Sky astutely took it as the subtle dismissal that was, and promptly excused himself, but not before throwing him one last look over his shoulder. “Look… no matter what happened between us… and I know a lot happened… I wish you only the best. I really do.”

A part of Diaspro wanted to scoff at him and turn away without a word, but another part, the part that spent her childhood summers playing hide and seek with Sky in the palace of Eraklyon, softened her anger somewhat.

“Are you happy, Sky?”

“Yeah,” he said, and to her surprise, sounded genuine. “I really am.”

Sky walked away, and with that, they felt as if their long, painful chapter at last came to a close. Diaspro let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

It took them a long moment to realize their hands were still intertwined.

“Are we going to talk about this?” Bloom asked in the limo on their way back from the wedding, and Diaspro had to stop herself from visibly wincing. She should’ve known better than to hope that Bloom would drop it – the woman was incapable of holding anything in for too long.

“What is there to talk about?” she asked, trying to sound casual.

Even from the corner of her eye, she could see Bloom giving her a _look_.

“When we danced,” Bloom said carefully. “There was something there. I felt it. I know you felt it too, because you’re usually the more perceptive one of the two of us, and if I noticed it, there’s no way you didn’t.”

“Even if I did,” Diaspro snapped. “What are you going to do about it? What are we?”

“I don’t know,” Bloom admitted, voice quiet. “I’m confused, myself.”

“It was an emotional moment for both of us,” Diaspro explained, ever the logical one. “It probably doesn’t mean anything.”

But even as the words left her mouth, Diaspro knew she didn’t believe it, and neither did Bloom.

“Only one way to find out,” Bloom said, and before Diaspro could react, she reached over and cupped her cheeks in the most gentle, tentative kiss.

_Oh, fuck it._

Throwing all caution to the wind, Diaspro responded with a fervor of her own, and was silently pleased when Bloom seemed to melt into the kiss. Before she knew it, she was climbing on top of Bloom, and they tumbled around for a bit in a tangled mess of silk and tulle, trying to settle into a semi-comfortable position. Bloom’s hands were on her dress zipper in an instant, and the next thing she knew, Diaspro was shivering from the trail of kisses Bloom was leaving on her collarbone and down her shoulder-

“Well,” Bloom said, still seeming a bit dazed. “That was something.”

Diaspro was holding a compact mirror, trying to fix her appearance. Bloom, as usual, was a mess and unbothered about it.

“It was _something_ , alright,” Diaspro conceded, dabbing a bit of eyeshadow to her ruined look.

She soon felt Bloom’s meaningful gaze on her again, and turned to her with an exasperated air. “What?”

“I think my initial theory has just been proven correct.” Bloom said matter-of-factly.

“Yes, yes, you’re absolutely brilliant.” she waved a hand dismissively.

“I know you might not feel the same way,” Bloom said, and for the first time that night, she actually sounded _scared_. “But I’d really like to give this a chance, if you’re okay with it too.”

Diaspro stopped in her tracks. When had her life gotten so weird? She had just gone to her ex-fiancé’s wedding with the woman he had once upon a time left her for, whom he later also left for his current wife. At the reception, they had somehow given him the impression that they were a couple. They’d had what could only be described as a make-out slash groping session in the back of her limo, wearing expensive gowns to boot. And now, Bloom was asking her to be her… what? Girlfriend? Friend with benefits? Occasional fuck buddy?

There is nothing normal about any of this. Certainly not the idea of getting into a relationship with your former romantic rival, but then again, they were two peas in a pod. They understood each other in that weird way that no one else would.

If Bloom was willing to take the leap, why wouldn’t she be?

She remembered her words. _We’re in this together, getting our lives together one step at a time._

She remembered the wedding, remembered Sky. Sometimes, you never know if something good could come out of something bad. Not unless you try.

Bloom was still wearing that painfully hopeful look on her face. “Well, what do you say?” she asked. “Are we in this together or not?”

And just like that, Diaspro smiled despite herself.

“Yes,” she said. “Yes, we are.”

_fin_

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! As always, kudos and comments are very much appreciated!


End file.
